Mother of My Child
by fan-to-fiction
Summary: When Goku suddenly finds himself alone in the care of his newborn son he comes to the conclusion that even being a super hero isn't enough to raise a kid. Will help come in the form of a new love or not? R
1. Prologue

Summary: Chichi dies while giving birth to Gohan. Goku has no clue how to raise a child, and in an effort to help Goku, Bulma invites him to live over at Capsule Corp. with her. That's when the love starts.

Author's note: This story is inspired by a request made by Keemsaiyan. He gave the idea and specific pointers in the plot. Enjoy!

The beta for this fic is PianoxForte -thank you so much- and she has rewritten some parts. So I'd rather say it is kind of co-written.

Mother of My Child  
Prologue

"AAAHHHH!!! Make it stop!! Please make it stop!!" a woman's shrill scream reverberated around the entire hospital complex.  
It was currently five o' clock in the morning. ChiChi had gone into labor around 10:30 pm the previous day, and Goku had rushed her to the hospital as fast as he could on kinto'un. The second they landed, he sprinted inside via the front doors, holding her bridal style, and exclaiming that his wife desperately needed help.

She was rushed into the maternity ward within minutes, and ever since that moment, every second that ticked by had been agonizing to Goku. The maternal department was situated on the sixth floor of the building. Goku sat silently in the near-empty waiting room, his eyes glued to the door that separated him from his wife.

It started off like any other delivery would, a nurse and a doctor waiting on his wife hand and foot. They checked to see if this was indeed, real labor, quickly affirming that it was. They only needed to see that all was progressing normally, and then they could continue with the operation at hand.  
Unfortunately, all was not well for Son ChiChi. She was having continual contractions, there was practically no rest between them, they were sporadic, and painful. Sweat glistened on every inch of her skin, her face was flushed a deep crimson, and with every passing moment, she clenched her teeth, trying to force herself not to scream out in renewed anguish.

The doctor was baffled; there was no reason for this birth to be putting so much strain on the young woman. The child was perfectly healthy. He was in the correct birthing position. According to her records, she'd taken all of the prenatal precautions available. She was a thriving, vibrant, young, woman, with an equally as healthy baby. There was no reason for the complications this birth was causing!

Within a matter of minutes, Goku witnessed the relatively quiet maternity ward turn into complete and utter chaos. The doctor that was assigned to his wife had rushed out of her room with an extremely worried and frustrated look upon his face. He returned with a team of straight-faced doctors. They were speaking silently to each other, ushering the nurse to bring in some more help.  
Within a couple of minutes, doctors and nurses were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Just one thing occurred to Goku, every single one of them was currently busy trying to help a woman give birth to her child, his wife.  
The personnel were so concentrated on the task at hand, that none of them noticed Goku get out of his seat, and begin pacing up and down the hallway nervously in anticipation.

"AAAHHH!!! Please!!! AAAHH!!! It hurtssss!!!" she wailed.  
With every scream of pain, Goku winced. It was as if he could physically feel the pain his wife was going through. "For Kami's sake!" shouted the lead doctor, "Someone give the poor woman an epidural!"  
"Get that thing away from me!" the woman screamed with painstaking effort. Goku paused his long stride, glancing at the door. He clenched his fists in frustration, _'What are they doing to her?!?'  
_"It will relieve some of your pain," came the muffled reply of a doctor. "If I'm -" she began, being abruptly cut off from a new spurt of pain, "- drugged, the baby will be drugged… ahhh… the baby will be drugged too!"  
"It's perfectly safe!"  
"To hell with your perfectly safe!" she hissed. "AHHHHHHHH!"

Goku approached the door to ChiChi's room nervously. His pitch-black onyx eyes gazed at the door with a renewed intensity. He needed to see her! He knew that if he didn't he'd regret it. It was quite clear to him now that something was wrong. Goku stopped the next nurse that emerged from behind the accursed closed door, "Please, ma'am, I need to see her!"  
She softly put his hand in hers, pity radiating off of her delicate countenance. "Mr. Son, we're doing all we can. There have been some complications with the birth. Doctor Kyoya is certain that he can deliver the baby safely. Unfortunately, your presence will make it very difficult on the hospital staff; I urge you to stay seated and wait for any further updates on your wife's status."  
'_What's that supposed to mean? What type of complications? Deliver the baby safely? Is something wrong with our baby?!?' _thought Goku, raking his fingers through his wild hair.

He never had the chance to ask the nurse any of the questions that were buzzing through his mind like a storm. She had already left, the second she had finished talking. She left him feeling invisible, utterly unimportant. Goku stood still for a moment, twiddling his thumbs together nervously, and racking his brain for possible answers that weren't to be found. He continued staring at the door. He flinched slightly as he heard a click. The door opened, revealing yet another busy nurse bustling out of the room in order to complete a task. Goku glanced inside the room, desperate to see his wife, but the nurse's body blocked his view. "Excuse me, but could you tell me wha -" began Goku, his hand reaching out toward the nurse slightly out of desperation.  
The nurse was too busy to pay any attention to Goku, and swiftly passed him by before he could even finish his inquiry. Goku sighed in slight defeat. _'If I'd only asked what was going on earlier, before it got this crazy, maybe then I could get a straight answer from one of them…'_

He had been sitting patiently in the waiting room since roughly 11:00 pm yesterday, and he still hadn't found out what was wrong with his wife, ChiChi, or his soon to be son or daughter. He remembered how panicked he had been when his wife had fallen down and had started to convulse. They had been fighting. No, that was wrong. His wife had been yelling at him, like she always did. He couldn't quite remember why she had been angry at him. But he could still see in his mind how she had suddenly collapsed and started screaming in pain.  
He hadn't wasted a minute and had hurried her to the hospital. Once there, the medical assistants had immediately ushered his wife through the doors of the delivery room and now they were six hours further and none the wiser. He glanced back at the door, aware that his wife was suffering behind them.  
He hoped with all of his heart that she would be alright, and that this was all just a misunderstanding. She was currently eight months pregnant; the baby was being born prematurely. What if the complications the nurse had been talking about had something to with the baby? Maybe the baby wasn't developed enough. Though, the baby wasn't born yet, how would they know?

He leaned his body against the wall, slowly allowing his backside to slide into a sitting position on the cool tile floor. He was just too tired for this. He was losing his nerve. He closed his eyes; they stung slightly from the continual contact with his eyelids. They'd been wide open for too long.  
He had been ecstatic when Chichi had announced to him that she was pregnant. He didn't know what to think at first. It seemed hardly possible to him. He was going to be a daddy! He smiled slightly from the happiness of that nostalgia. Though, his smile disappeared as horrifying thoughts began to enter his doubtful mind. What if their baby died? What if something was wrong with it? He would never forgive himself if something happened to the baby, never.  
For the umpteenth time, the door opened, and yet another nurse strode past him. This time, he didn't even try to stop her. The act of it would be fruitless.

Three hours passed, and still the doctors were busy with her. He wondered how much longer it would take. He couldn't stand the screams knowing they were hers. He started pacing again, up and down, up and down. Something else was bothering him, the screams; they were turning into weak moans. ChiChi was still in so much excruciating pain, but she was so exhausted, that she couldn't find her voice any longer.  
It was unusual for him to wait without knowing something of the situation at hand. He always knew what to do when it came to fighting evildoers, but this time, he didn't have a clue. Never before had he had felt as useless as he did right now.

A nurse returned with towels and a bag of blood meant for an IV. Goku suddenly felt sick, as if he were going to throw up. He began trembling. _'Why do they need blood?' _He tried to shake off the unnerving feeling that his aforementioned suspicions had been true. That blood was either for ChiChi, or it was for their baby.  
Why? Why would something go wrong with ChiChi's pregnancy? She had been really angry at him when she had collapsed. Maybe it was his fault she was now in pain. If he hadn't made her angry then this would have never happened. What if the stress he had caused her sent her into premature labor? What if he had been the root of this problem?

She was always angry at him for one reason or another. He didn't have a license, he didn't have a job, and he ate too much. Heck, she even said that he was a dumb monkey once. Yes, she insulted him and degraded him, but she was still his wife. He had agreed to marry her. He had fallen in love with her. His grandpa Gohan had taught him to treat women with the utmost respect and tender care, as if they were a very precious and fragile, yet beautiful flower.  
He couldn't help but wonder if she would be angry at him when the baby was born. If there was something wrong with it, he would take the blame for sure. Everything was always his fault.

Goku paused his pacing as he detected three ki signatures that he recognized moving toward him. Their impending presence caused him to smile regardless of how horrible he felt at the moment. Three of his close friends had come to see him. In a matter of minutes, his best friend Krillin rounded the corner of the hallway. He was followed closely by Bulma and Yamcha.  
"Hey Goku, how is she doing?" questioned Krillin, his facial features etched with concern.  
Goku only sighed and glanced at the door, it just stood there, silent and unmoving, mocking him. He couldn't bring himself to say what was on his mind. He couldn't tell them there was something wrong, because then he would be forcing himself to believe it too. He couldn't handle that right now.

"I take it that there isn't news yet. Don't worry, everything will be fine," reassured Krillin.

"Yeah," Yamcha piped up, "you'll see, Goku. It's your kid, so he or she must be strong!"

Yamcha's voice boomed louder as he spoke. The crescendo gained him some annoyed looks from a few of the passing personnel. Bulma's face turned red. _'Yeah, Yamcha, your reassurance is great and all, but the whole world doesn't have to know about it,' _she thought in slight annoyance. Bulma gained his attention, and brought her index finger up to her lips, gesturing for him to quiet it down a little.  
Yamcha leaned against a wall casually, a sheepish grin adorning his handsome face. Meanwhile, Krillin rolled his eyes at Yamcha, and chose to sit down in one of the chairs. Goku continued his pacing. He stopped abruptly when he felt a soft hand tug on his arm.  
He glanced over his shoulder to see who it was. Bulma stood staring back at him, a gentle look of sympathy on her delicate features. Goku couldn't help, but smile at her.

"Goku, just so you know, whatever happens, we will be there for you and Chichi," stated Bulma, squeezing his arm gently in reassurance.

Goku's smile broadened, "I know you will, Bulma. Thank you."

He kept smiling at her, but when she turned away from him in order to say something to Yamcha, it disappeared. Sometimes it was just way too hard to be the happy-go-lucky guy everyone thought he was. Well, usually it wasn't hard, but right now, it felt like one of the most difficult things he'd ever done. He couldn't have a genuine smile on his face while his wife was suffering only a matter of feet away from him. He couldn't smile while he was in the dark about what was going on with her and his baby.

Goku continued pacing while the others tried to lighten up the depressing mood that hung so thickly in the air. Unfortunately, nothing could make Goku feel any better at the moment. Nothing could relieve the overwhelming feeling of angst that overtook him. His wife hadn't made a peep in over 30 minutes. He dreaded what may be happening.

Two hours later and none the wiser, the door opened and out came a doctor followed by a nurse who held a small bundle in her arms. Everyone stood up and Goku stopped pacing around the room.

"Doc! What was wrong? Is Chichi and the baby alright?" he questioned, his muscles tensed.

The doctor attempted at giving Goku a reassuring smile, but his mind was elsewhere, thinking about what he had just witnessed. They say you eventually become numb to such things over time. In reality, nobody could ever dissuade the thoughts of impending tragedy.  
Bulma and the others frowned at the sudden change in the doctor's expression. It was very clear now that something had gone awry. Goku, however, was completely oblivious to this as he finally caught sight of what lay in the nurse's arms.

He walked over to her and glanced down at the small blue bundle, wondering what it could be. He peeked over the blanket in curiosity. A small baby stared back at him in wonder. Goku smiled widely and reached over, silently asking to hold the baby. The nurse gave the baby to him. He held the infant as if he were holding the most fragile and precious thing in the universe. He was terrified he might crush it. His awe overcame him, this baby was utterly perfect! He tenderly reached up to touch a small hand.

"It's a boy!" he exclaimed, completely overjoyed. A boy! He was a father! He couldn't believe it! "What did ChiChi decide to name him?" he asked.

He glanced up at the doctor and nurse in confusion when he received no answer. The doctor and the nurse were watching him with a compassionate look on their faces.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this, Son Goku, but he doesn't have a name. Your wife died shortly after she gave birth to him. We're all very sorry for your loss," muttered the doctor, staring at the floor in shame. Goku's heart skipped a beat. No, this was impossible! It was as if all of the wind was punched out of him. Chichi was dead… He frantically tried to feel for her ki, and when he realized that it was truly gone, he broke down crying. His friends looked at each other with a shocked expression on their faces. ChiChi was dead!

It was understandable that Goku would react like this. Still, it felt so odd to witness him crying like a baby. He was always so sure of the situation and laughing at anything and everything. He was so optimistic. He was their rock to hold onto when there was nothing left. He was their hero! It was miserable to see him degraded to such a state.  
Hesitantly, Bulma walked over to Goku, and took the infant from his shaky arms. She then looked at the tear-streaked face of Goku. Her own heart felt as if it were about to burst.

"You know we will be there for you, right Goku?" she mumbled, unsure if she should really be speaking at a moment such as this.

Goku sniffled, wiping his runny nose with his forearm. He gave a small nod in affirmation.

"So how about you give him a name? He needs one, you know," she suggested.

He knew, he was aware that the baby, his son, needed a name. Right now he couldn't think straight. Yamcha and Krillin shared a look and started to guide their friend out of the hospital. It wouldn't be good for him if he saw his wife's body being brought out.  
Quickly, Bulma handled the paperwork, and she ushered Goku and the others into a hovercar. "Now, Goku, how about you come with us to Capsule Corp. for today. If you have calmed down enough you can go home," Bulma suggested as they drove to her house.

It was dead silent from that point onward. There were no words to be said. Goku needed to grieve. He needed silence. He wanted to picture his beautiful wife's face with the utmost of clarity for the last time. He needed to, because whether he liked it or not, time fades our memories. He knew that all too well. There were some days when he wanted to just break down and cry because he could no-longer picture his grandpa Gohan's smiling face.

The next day Goku stood in front of his house on Mount Paozu. He looked at the baby in his arms and smiled. He and Gohan would be fine.

"Gohan," he spoke the baby's name with the utmost of pride. It had been Bulma who had suggested that he honor his grandfather by naming his son after him. He was glad he had. As he walked inside he thought that eventually everything would work out just fine. Yeah, everything was going to be alright.

Author's notes: So what do you think? Is it worth continuing or not? Tell me! Review


	2. Calling for Help

Author's notes: Nice to see at least one person said she likes it. Which means (drum roll) that the story continues!

Reviews:

PianoxForte: Thanks for the kind review. I'm glad to know at least one is interested enough to leave a review. It means a lot to me.

Calling for Help

Two days passed, and Goku was beginning to wonder if he had maybe jinxed himself by thinking that everything was going to be alright. Gohan was so angelic at Bulma's, and maybe even for an hour longer when they both returned home, but his mood soon became fowl, and ever since that moment, Goku hadn't had even a second of rest.  
Every hour Gohan had needed to be fed. This was normal and all, considering he was demi-Saiyan, but Goku was unaware of that fact. Gohan was in constant need of attention. He not only needed to be fed, but he needed to be cleaned, and comforted as well. The worst part was that Goku had absolutely no clue as to how to take care of a baby.  
'_Wow__, grandpa Gohan, how did you do it?' _thought Goku in admiration. He suddenly laughed, _'And I was such a horrible child at first...'_

Goku could feel the stress begin to wear on his nerves. He had no time to do anything with Gohan's constant crying. To top it all off, he still needed to arrange the funeral of his deceased wife. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. Goku wasn't even sure if he was capable of doing that just yet. Nevertheless, he knew it had to be done.  
Bulma had sent a funeral director over to give Goku his options. She told him that she would pay for everything, and that he didn't have to worry about spending a lot of money. When he had seen the forms he had to fill out and the pictures of the different coffins he had to choose from, he felt sick. He finally was beginning to understand the impending realization that meant his wife was dead, truly gone, forever. He had to excuse himself from the mortician's presence; he didn't want him to see him break down.

He walked off into his and ChiChi's bedroom; this wasn't the best spot to have chosen. His eyes landed upon a picture of he and ChiChi on their wedding night. It was sitting atop what had been ChiChi's nightstand; it was mocking him. He walked over to it silently; tears began to blur his vision. He ran his rough and calloused finger down his wife's beautiful face. Then, he suddenly couldn't stand to look at it anymore. He grabbed the picture, and slammed it face-down onto the surface of the nightstand. He could hear the subtle crunch of broken glass.  
From off in another room, he heard the renewed wails of Gohan. With every bit of the strength he had left in his body, he dragged his feet one before the other toward the nursery to attempt to console his son.  
He managed to calm Gohan down for once, and returned to discuss matters with the funeral director once again. It felt like it had taken an eternity to work out the plans for the funeral. Goku felt a small sensation of guilt rack up in his chest. He'd rushed the man. He hadn't spent as much time preparing, and making ChiChi's funeral as perfect as he knew she deserved. He didn't know how to handle it though. Arranging the funeral was just way too much for him to bear!

It wasn't in his nature to be depressed like this. He was usually so sure of himself. Now that this tragedy had happened, he realized how little he was capable of doing. He knew how to fight and save the world from certain destruction. In fact, being the Earth's protector seemed to be his full-time occupation.  
That alone used to suffice; it was no-longer the case. He was a father now. He had other responsibilities. He wasn't just an ordinary father, he was a single parent. He would have no help. Gohan would never get to know his own mother. Goku suddenly felt a renewed sense of anguish, oh, how he knew how that felt! Gohan deserved so much better than what he was dealt!

There were so many things he needed to learn to do in order to give Gohan the life he deserved! It seemed as if he were just making his first steps. Heck, he didn't even know how to do drive a car. He'd always caught dinner. ChiChi had her garden in the backyard. They didn't need to go into to town very often. Regardless of that, ChiChi had bought a car with money that was left over from their wedding endowments from her father, the Ox King. She'd begged him to learn how to drive, and he'd pushed it off. Why drive when you can fly?  
'_Because!' _he could hear her snapping in his ear, _'Not all of us know how to fly, Goku! It's not normal to fly! I don't want everyone thinking we're weird or something!'  
_She had always been so insistent and stubborn. When he didn't learn to drive, she went out and got her own license. It was always Chichi who arranged things like dinner and parties. He laughed when he thought about how she had always been fussing over everything. His laugh stopped short as he heard Gohan begin to cry for the umpteenth time, he grimaced, and headed toward the nursery once again.

"WAAAAHHH!!! WAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

He sighed in annoyance, he hadn't been able to get anything done, and Gohan was already crying again. As he opened the door to the baby's room he saw Gohan kicking around in his small crib. His little fists were clenched tightly as his chubby legs kicked the blanket off of him.  
Slowly, Goku approached the crib and looked down at his son in amazement. He was definitely going to be a fighter alright! He smiled and gently cooed at him. When Gohan heard the sound he opened his eyes and looked quite dumbfounded at the large man looming over him. As Goku noticed the confused look on his son's face he started to laugh softly. Having heard such a soft and light sound coming from the silly man above him made Gohan start to giggle.

Goku felt a sudden sense of pride for being able to accomplish what seemed like such an incredible feat. He scratched the back of his head in bemusement, thinking, _'So that's all it took to calm the little guy down.'  
_He shook his head in astonishment, and began to walk away from the crib. He was starving; he really needed something to eat! Gohan however, wouldn't have anything of it and promptly showed this by letting loose his loud and obnoxious cries yet again.

Goku hastily returned to Gohan's side, trying his best to shush him, but it seemed that all of his efforts were in vain. He tried for nearly half an hour straight. No amount of funny faces or sounds seemed to have any effect on him. Goku checked his diaper, but it was unsoiled. He quickly whipped up some warm baby formula, but Gohan just made a face at it and continued to scream and cry even louder.  
Goku soon began to panic. What if he couldn't stop Gohan from crying ever again? Highly unlikely, but Goku was a bit stressed and couldn't think straight. He had never had any experience with kids before. He never had any family, so he didn't have younger siblings to take care of as practice. None of his friends had young children. Sure, he loved them and could play with them all day, but when it came to taking care of one he was utterly clueless.  
He twiddled with his fingers as he paced anxiously around the room. _'What's wrong with me? Why can't I calm him down? Is something wrong with him? Is he sick? How can I get him to be quiet?'  
_All of the crying began to give him a headache. His ears were ringing. He clamped his hands over his ears in a desperate attempt to shut out the noise. _'Make it stop! Please make it stop!'  
_Finally, he lost it. He walked briskly over to the crib, grabbed its railings and yelled, "Please be quiet, Gohan! Just... shut up already!"

Goku suddenly gasped, hesitantly stepping away from the crib. He clenched his fists tightly, they were shaking. His whole body was quivering with the horror of what he had just done. Gohan was just a baby. He didn't know any better. He certainly didn't deserve to be yelled at!  
"I- I," stuttered Goku timidly, "I-I'm sorry, Gohan! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!"  
Gohan continued to wail even louder than before. Goku couldn't handle it anymore, and left the room, shutting the door behind him to muffle the sound.

Goku stopped outside the door. He leaned against it, allowing his body to slip to the carpeted floor in exhaustion. He knew that it wouldn't be right to just leave Gohan alone in there, especially since he was crying. Goku ran his fingers through his black tufts of hair anxiously.  
'_What can I do? I can't do this alone! I can't raise Gohan all by myself. I need help! I can't do this!'_the overwhelming thoughts tormented Goku.  
Goku rubbed some tears out of his eyes with his forearm. _'I can't do this all by myself...' _

At Capsule Corporation:

"Bulma honey, there's a phone call for you!" Mrs Briefs, the mother of Bulma, yelled in the direction of her daughter.

"I'm coming mom!" came Bulma's voice from a few rooms away.

The subtle sound of tapping could be heard, and within a few seconds, Bulma rounded the corner, smiling at her mother. She held out her arm for the phone, and upon receiving it, she greeted, "Hello, this is Bulma Briefs speaking."

After a moment's pause, "Oh hey, Goku! How're you doing?" she asked with a broad smile.

Her smile quickly faded, "Hold on, Goku, so you yelled at Gohan because he didn't want to stop crying and you can't take care of him while arranging Chichi's... anyway, so you want me to come over?"

Frantic mumbling could be heard from the other end of the line as she nodded her head in understanding, "Alrighty then, I'll be over to help in few."

With that said she hung up the phone and quickly began jogging towards her room. As she was fumbling with a capsule, which contained a plane, her mother stepped out of the kitchen.

"What's wrong honey? You seem like you're in hurry to get somewhere..." began Bunny Briefs.

Bulma shoved the capsule in her pocket, and halted for a moment to answer her mother, "Goku needs help, I'll be back in a little while..."

Bunny frowned, "Oh my...." She glanced down at the tray of freshly baked cookies she was holding. "... why don't you take one for the road, sweetie."

"No time, mom," replied Bulma, she was already headed toward the front door. "Oh and I'm flying, not driving," she casually added with a slight laugh.

Bunny jogged up to her daughter, she had miraculously already put some wrapping over the cookies to keep them fresh.

"M-mom!" began Bulma in shocked protest.

"Not for you honey, for poor Goku," she replied with a genuinely affectionate smile.

Bulma smiled back at her, "Oh my Kami, mom! You're a genius!" she shouted, grabbing the plate of cookies, and giving her mom a half-hug as a thank you.

Bulma, backed away from her mother, and returned back to business. "Bye mom!" she shouted as she closed the door behind her.

At Mount Paozu:

Goku felt like a bat out of hell. He was so frustrated! Gohan was still crying. He still couldn't get him to calm down. It had been only five minutes since the call to Bulma had been made, but to him it seemed like an enternity.

Goku took to staring at the door handle. He was watching it intently, hoping that it would move. He began to frown in disappointment. Just how long was this going to take? Was it really that great of a distance from Capsule Corp.? He honestly had never given that much thought to it before. He had always flown there, and it never seemed like it took very long to arrive at his destination. Now that the shoe was on the other foot, it seemed much longer! Goku had to keep reminding himself that she was going as fast as she could.

After twenty more torturous minutes of waiting, he heard the engine of a plane approaching his home. He quickly hopped to his feet, and ran outside to greet Bulma, and witness the appearance of his saviour with his own two eyes. Bulma landed the plane a few meters away from his house. He smiled as he watched the blue haired genius climb out of the plane and capsulized it. Kami forbid another dinosaur crush her plane while she wasn't looking again!

"Bulma," was all Goku could manage to say upon seeing her.

It was all she needed to hear. It was so obvious to her just how much this meant to him. She could see the gratefulness that reflected in his eyes

"So, where is the little rascal, huh?" she asked jokingly, she didn't need to, all she had to do was follow that sound of crying.

He couldn't help but smile at her in return. Bulma's beautiful smiling face was contagious.

"He's in his room and still crying," replied Goku, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"I can hear that," Bulma replied. "Don't worry, Goku. A couple of minutes with me and he will be bouncing with joy in no time."

She was aware that it was a pretty big boast. She had absolutely zero experience with children. She knew she was sometimes a drama queen, making an elephant out of a mosquito, but she knew that right now, Goku had to be kept optimistic. He had taken the death of Chichi the hardest, naturally considering he was her husband, and he was most likely blaming it all on himself. She needed to keep him stitched together. She didn't know what she would do if she saw him of all people fall apart. She was determined to be his glue.

That was precisely the reason why she was beaming at the moment and puffing out her chest to show Goku she indeed had the strength to dish out what she proclaimed she was capable of accomplishing.  
Seeing Bulma's antics he laughed lightly and showed her where the baby's room was located. Though, he shouldn't have bothered, he was completely aware that the kid could be heard from orbit.

Outer Space/Space Station on Earth:

"Houston, we have a problem!" an astronaut spoke into his walkie-talkie.... thing.

-On the other end-

"Wha-" replied a voice, "What did you say? I can't understand... Wahhh?"

WAHHHHHHHHH!!!!! WAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

"Houston, are you there? Help! Oh my Kami! I'm gonna crash!"

Back to Mt. Paozu:

'_Wow, he sure has__ lungs,'_ thought Bulma, silently slipping into the room behind Goku. _'Poor little guy probably has a sore throat by now!' _

She peaked over the crib and smiled gently at Gohan, "Hey there little one," she cooed softly, "I hear you're making a lot of trouble for your daddy. Why don't you stop crying now little Gohan. Shh, calm down..."

She carefully lifted Gohan up and out of his crib. "Wow! You are a little cutie-pie aren't you?" she exclaimed happily.

Gohan quit crying. He hiccupped every now and then. His large obsidian-shaded eyes were locked on Bulma with curiosity. She cradled him in her arms as she rocked him back and forth, humming a lullaby her mother used to sing to her when she was little.  
Goku watched with rapt fascination as he first witnessed Gohan yawning and then actually cuddling up to Bulma. She continued to rock him untill she was sure he was asleep. She then carefully placed him back into his crib.

After they had silently left the room, closing the door softly, Goku exulted, "Wow! Thanks Bulma! He's never been that easy to calm down before. I don't know how you did it!"

She could tell right away that at that specific moment in time, Goku was genuinely happy. For the first time since Goku had returned home with Gohan in his arms, there was a peaceful quiet residing in the house which allowed him to wind down a little bit.

"Come on, Goku, it wasn't that hard. He just needs to be held once in a while, that's all," replied Bulma, secretly overjoyed with her unexpected triumph.

Goku merely blinked at her dumbfoundedly.

Bulma sighed in exasperation, "Oh, Goku, don't tell me you never hold him!"

"Um – well, ya see... I do hold him... when I feed him," he replied nervously, wincing at the look he received from Bulma in return.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, "What am I going to do with you? Always the same old naive Goku, huh?" she chuckled.

Bulma heard a loud rumbling noise, and glanced at Goku in suspicion. "Tell me that you've at least eaten since you came home, Goku!?!"

Goku smiled at her sheepishly, rubbing his stomach, "I wish Bulma, but I haven't had a second of time to myself since I arrived back home."

Bulma frowned at him in sympathy, with Goku, starving himself for Gohan's sake was really saying something! "Come on, I'll make something for you, granted that you actually have something edible in your fridge."

Bulma laughed as she heard yet another loud rumbling noise coming from Goku's stomach, "Hold your horses, buddy! I can't make a masterpiece in a matter of seconds, ya know!" she kidded.

"Hey, Bulma, I didn't know you could cook..." mentioned Goku absentmindedly as he watched Bulma fumbling around with the pots and pans in his kitchen.

"Well, I've never really cooked before, but I'm sure that scrambled eggs and toast aren't too difficult to make, right?"

Goku's face suddenly turned white. _'I really hope I don't get food poisoning!' _he thought. He shrugged his shoulders in indifference. He had a strong stomach; he could take whatever she dished out to him.

"Oh... and Goku?" began Bulma.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"I have a special surprise for dessert stored away in a capsule. I promise I didn't make it!" she chimed happily.

Author's notes: PianoxForte added a real nice touch of humor in it. Any reviews on the revised chapters are also reviews for her. Review


	3. Funeral and Flowers

Author's notes: Next chapter. I know it took a while, but this isn't my primary story on this site, that is 'Fate Intertwined'. So for now, untill that one is finished, this takes second place. Enjoy!

Reviewers:

Nickyjoet: Thanks for the review and I know my grammar is bad sometimes. English is only my third language so that might explain it. If you see a huge mistake please tell me and I can correct it.

Xdevil-childx: Thanks for the review!

Funeral and Flowers

Until this moment, life had begun to calm down for Son Goku. With the help of Bulma, he was finally beginning to understand how much attention was really necessary for Gohan. She was brilliant. Together they were able to calm Gohan down, and have fun with the little tyke.

Today had given birth to the renewal of overwhelming anguish, the piercing pain that enveloped Goku's heart every time he thought of ChiChi. His life had been such utter chaos since her death that he was too busy to dwell on it for long. It had only been two days, so it was no wonder that he was still in the primary stages of grieving.  
Today was a very monumental occasion. Today was the day he would lay her to rest. It was the day that he would finally come to terms with reality. ChiChi was not on some sort of vacation. She wasn't coming back. To put it crudely, but accurately, she was as dead as a doorknob, and it was time to recognize this horrifying fact. He needed to say goodbye. He was so unsure if he would be capable of standing it, of saying that single word that meant so much.

He speculated the peculiarity of it. Goodbye could mean so many things at once. It could mean farewell forever. It could mean, see ya' later. It could hurt, and sometimes it felt relieving. The fresh relief one feels when someone who has overspent their stay finally leaves. Everyone remembers that annoying acquaintance or family member that is nice to see for a day or two, but after a week, you're silently wishing them to depart already. Some people congratulate themselves for finally gathering the courage to say goodbye to someone of whom they had once held feelings for, but those feelings had slipped away while they weren't looking. There are so many reasons to say goodbye, Goku mused silently in despair; why did his have to be the worst of them all. He loved ChiChi! He needed her! He didn't want to say goodbye! He wasn't ready to say it because ChiChi's goodbye was permanent! It would be traumatizing to realize she was gone!

Chichi was buried at the foot of Mount Paozu. She lay sheltered beneath a gorgeous and ancient cherry blossom tree. It was a perfect sunny day. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. The tree that towered over her simple headstone was in full blossom, and with every slight breeze, small pink flower pedals drifted and swirled around ChiChi's gravesite.

Fortunately, Bulma had thought of Goku's circumstances at the time of the funeral planning, and she went over his initial plans, editing them to her liking. If it hadn't been for her, the funeral would have been mediocre, but she had transformed it into something spectacular. For this, Goku would forever be grateful to her.

The Ox-King was completely inconsolable. Bunny Briefs stood beside him, rubbing his rather large backside in compassion. _'This poor man had lost his wife, and now his daughter too! He must think that this is a very cruel world!' _thought Bunny in pity.  
Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Chaoutzu, Master Roshi, Bulma, Mr. Briefs, Puar, Oolong... everyone, they had all come to grieve for Goku's wife, for the Ox-King's daughter. Everyone's faces reflected sadness, but also an overwhelming degree of pity. ChiChi had been very independent. The only people she had ever attached herself to was her father, the Ox-King, and Goku. The crowd that came to her funeral weren't friends of hers, they were better known as acquaintances, or rather, her husband's large supply of friends.

It was only natural for them to feel pity for their friend more so then the sadness for ChiChi's death. They didn't know her, but they were sad for Goku's loss. Perhaps Bulma had been the only of the group to meddle in-between Goku's relationship with ChiChi. She was curious of his happiness, and she had visited them from time to time. ChiChi was one of the most tough and indignant of women Bulma had ever encountered. She was a true character that would never be forgotten.

Goku did not love her at first. He didn't even know what was going on when he proposed to her. This had sort of ticked Bulma off at the time. Goku deserved the best, of course she had to worry about her best friend's wellbeing. She cared about him a lot. She was relieved to see that he indeed found happiness with ChiChi. He grew to love her in the way she had loved him since the moment she had met him when they were just little kids. ChiChi doted on her husband. She reprimanded his poor manors and lack of hygiene, but she improved many of his faults. She made him grow up to some degree. She loved him more than anything regardless of how difficult he was at times. For this, Bulma thought, she deserved the greatest of all recognition.

Bulma stood beside Goku throughout the entire procession. She held his hand in what she judged was the most difficult part: the time when the casket was finally lowered into the ground, and was covered with dirt to forever conceal its occupant.

Goku strode forward and stroked the fine shiny oak wood of the coffin. He leaned down and kissed it, tears welling in his eyes. He then moved back and witnessed it lower into the cold earthy ground forever. Bulma squeezed his hand in reassurance as everyone grabbed a handful of moist dirt, and approached the burial ditch.

"A fine woman, that was," muttered Master Roshi, sprinkling the dirt upon her coffin.

"She wouldn't take no for an answer. She was the only one who could defeat Goku," offered Krillin, his handful of dirt joining Master Roshi's.

"She was not swayed easily. She was determined to get what she wanted, namely Goku," said Bulma, glancing at Goku with a smile. "She was beautiful inside and out. She was independent. I could count on her to take care of my best friend. She made him happy, and for that I will forever be grateful to her. I can only hope that after spending so much time with such a perfect creature, that Goku can once again find solace elsewhere. That he may find happiness once again. Farewell, Son ChiChi, you bear your name well. Watch down upon your husband and son, they still need you to be their rock." With that said, she proudly tossed her handful of dirt in to join with the others.

And so it went on.... one by one... until it reached the Ox-King...

He rubbed tears away from his eyes, "She was the most perfect daughter a father could ever ask for. She was the mirror image of her mother," he hiccupped, sobbing slightly, "She was and will forever be my shining star, my pride and joy, my little girl... ChiChi..." He began to choke up, and could no-longer continue to speak, he lifted his trembling cupped hands, and gently poured the dirt over her grave, as if her were caressing her fragile face.

"ChiChi, you are one of the most amazing people I have ever met. You taught me so many things. You've given me endless joys of which I never would have thought possible. You are the love of my life. You gave me a son. You were so strong, and defiant in spirit. I hope you give those souls up in heaven a run for their money," Goku said solemnly, he didn't know what he was saying, he was just saying whatever came to mind, he felt that she deserved better, "I'm going to miss you more than I've missed anything! I don't know how I'm going to cope without you. I don't know how I can possibly manage to raise Gohan alone. Don't worry though; I'll be trying my best. I know you would if the shoe was on the other foot. You were amazing, you _are_ amazing! You could do anything... I wish I had an ounce of your courage, of your resilience... right now... The truth his ChiChi.... I'm scared. Expect to be getting visits from me often... I don't think I can handle letting you go. I need your advice, or at least, your presence. I need you..." Goku was now crying desperately, "I'm so sorry Chi! You deserved the best, so much better than a dufus like me! I want you to know... I – I want you to know that I love you more than anything and that my heart will always be with you..." he paused, emitting the subtle sound of sobbing, his voice trembled as he uttered his last word to her, "G – goodbye..."

He kneeled down before the large hole in the ground, spreading out his fingers, and watching the dirt seep through, watching gravity pull it down. The day wore on, as all days do. Time flies by, but this day, time went unnoticed by Goku. He stayed at the gravesite much longer than anyone else, well into the night.

Bulma approached Goku with baby Gohan bundled up tightly in her arms. He was layered in clothing and blanket. It was getting cold out. She watched Goku as he sat at the edge of ChiChi's grave.

Son ChiChi – it said, "Loving daughter, wife, and mother"

Bulma wondered how he could sit there so straight. He looked completely stoic, so unlike his natural self. His facial expression was deadpan, as if the life had been sucked out of him. She had heard him cry, while talking to his deceased wife earlier. Perhaps... he had nothing left to say. Maybe, for the time being, he felt numb, maybe his emotions were spent. He had added some wild flowers to the many bouquets of flowers that adorned ChiChi's gravesite. The gesture was very respectful and endearing, but it was time for Goku to come home now. He had Gohan to think of at the moment. He could not spend hours on end sitting at his wife's grave in a trance of despair. Long-lived mourning was for people that had the time for it. Gohan needed his father. Whether Goku wanted to or not, he needed to learn to cope with it.

Bulma sighed; Goku hadn't even sensed her approach with his son. She missed the old Goku. She kept reminding herself to not be impatient, that these things needed time. She just wanted to see him smile again. She wanted to see genuine joy and excitement reflected in his innocent eyes. She needed her Goku back. This Goku wasn't even a shadow of what the true Goku was; this was just your typical stagnant depressed person. He needed his spirits to be lifted up.

'_I'll make him smile again. I'll make damn sure of that!' _Bulma thought to herself with the utmost of determination. _'But... I'll wait... I'll give the poor man a little more time to adjust before I force him to see that there is still life out there, just waiting to be lived...' _

It was a quarter past three in the morning when Goku finally trudged through the front door of his humble home. The noise he encountered as he awoke Gohan forced him back to reality.

'_Who's watching Gohan?' _his mind screamed at him condescendingly, _'You inconsiderate idiot! How dare you make her promises you can't keep!'_

Goku stumbled through his house to the nursery. He paused in the doorway, as he witnessed Bulma lifting Gohan out of the crib and gently shushing him.

"There, there, sweetheart, your daddy's just home, that's all," she whispered, glancing up at Goku's baffled expression.

Goku blinked in confusion, "B-Bulma? What are you doing here?" he stammered.

Bulma smiled softly at Goku, amused by his complete bemusement, "Well, someone had to watch Gohan."

"O-of course! I realised that way too late... I was so terrified when I... when I came in and heard him crying. How could I have forgotten about it so easily? H-he needed me, and I wasn't there..." Goku trailed off, glaring at the ground in contempt of his stupid mistake.

Bulma seemed surprised, she approached him, cradling Gohan in one arm, using the other to touch his cheek softly in compassionate understanding, "Goku," she muttered, staring directly into his sorrowful raven eyes, "Nobody is expecting you to be a perfect father. You are in a rut right now. You have other things on your mind. Gohan's absolutely fine, Goku, look at him." She removed her hand from his face, and lifted Gohan up into the spotlight. He smiled at his father, and giggled slightly. He unexpectedly reached out to him with his chubby little hands.

Goku smiled a genuine smile. He held out his arms for Gohan. Bulma gladly handed him over. They needed to start bonding.

"Goku, if you don't care, I was wondering if you'd mind me staying for the night. I'm always coming so early in the morning anyway. Besides, I'd get more beauty sleep since I wouldn't have to drive all the way back home for the time being," she said, slightly unsure of being so straightforward.

"That would be great, Bulma. You're such a big help. You're so smart. You always know what to do, and Gohan really likes you. You can take the guest room. I think that it's free of junk, but if it isn't give a yell and I'll move it somewhere else," he said, glad she was staying. Somehow, he felt unusually comforted by her presence as of late.

Just then Gohan decided that he was no longer content and began crying crankily. Goku seemed worried. What had he done? Gohan became even more disturbed and began to scream as piercingly as he could muster.

Goku glanced up at Bulma with a startled and helpless look on his face that said, 'What do I do?!?'

Bulma let out subtle lilting laughter, she couldn't help it, and the look Goku had just made was _so _adorable!

"I think that he needs to be put to bed. It's kind of late, and newborns need a lot of sleep. Whether you believe me or not, Gohan was really antsy while you were gone. It was incredibly difficult for me to calm him down," explained Bulma.

"Really?" asked Goku in earnest pleasure. Gohan really liked him enough to miss him? Goku handed Gohan to Bulma and she began rocking him and calming him down before putting him to sleep. Goku watched her every move, determined to learn how to do it himself properly.

"Hey cutie, you're sleepy aren't you?" said Bulma in a soft comforting voice.

Gohan couldn't understand a word Bulma was saying. He just knew that her voice sounded good, and that she was warm and soft. He yawned and began to become very drowsy.

Bulma carefully lowered Gohan into the crib, and tucked him in gently. She then turned and tiptoed out of the room, closing the door silently behind her. She was surprised to see Goku watching her intently. He had an awkward look upon his face. She wondered what he was thinking about.

Goku nervously averted his eyes, "You're really good at that. I hope I can be that good someday."

"It's not hard, Goku," answered Bulma with a quiet laugh, "you'll be pro in no-time!"

Goku looked down at his feet in embarrassment, "Really, ya' think so? I hope you're right! Thanks, Bulma!"

"You don't need to thank me for anything, Goku," she replied earnestly.

Goku smiled slightly, "Well, goodnight, Bulma!" he said, turning and leaving hastily.

When Goku heard the door of the guest room close he sighed as if a large amount of strain had been lifted off of his body. He really didn't have a clue as to why he had suddenly become shy and embarrassed around Bulma. He knew her better than anyone. She and he had been friends for what felt like forever. She was the second person he'd ever met. She was the first girl he ever met.

He couldn't shake off the feeling that something had felt different between the two of them as of recently. He had felt rather peculiar when he had seen her standing over the bed of Gohan. He knew that she was in the exact spot where his wife should have been standing, but his wife wasn't here anymore. She was dead. She would never have the opportunity to stand in that particular spot, holding her son tenderly, speaking to him in a cutesy voice. Bulma stood in her place, acting the part of a mother Gohan didn't have.

Goku suddenly clenched his fists in frustration, _'No!' _he thought adamantly. _'Bulma could never take her place! What was I thinking?!?' _

Goku lay down in bed, glaring at the ceiling. Why was life so unfair? What did he do to deserve this sort of torture?

The Next Morning:

Goku awoke the next morning in a haze. He felt so exhausted! His bones ached as if he had just done an intense workout. His muscles were stiff. For what felt like the first time in his life, he didn't want to pull himself out of bed and face the new day. He just wanted to lie there, doing absolutely nothing. He wanted to fade into nothingness.

He heard some rustling and banging in the kitchen. He had what felt like a mental relapse, why was there noise in the kitchen? He lifted himself out of bed in angst. Could it be?

"Chi," he whispered in astonishment, striding quickly to the kitchen with an eager sort of gait. He rounded the corner of a hallway, and passed through the kitchen doorway, only to be slapped in the face. Well, not slapped literally, but it certainly felt like someone had decked him.

"Hi Goku! How are you this morning?" chimed Bulma. She was perfecting her new art of cooking eggs and toast.

Goku tried not to look too disappointed, but he suddenly felt horrible. "I'm fine," was all he said in response.

Bulma frowned at him, worry evident on her face; she began to leave her post, "Are you alright?" she inquired.

Goku threw her an awkward half-smile, "I'm fine, really."

"Okay..." she mumbled, turning back to her cooking.

Goku approached Gohan, taking a seat at the table nearest to his highchair. The shock was beginning to wear off. He began playing with him. "And how are _you_ this morning little man?" asked Goku, pointing his index finger at Gohan.

Gohan giggled and grasped Goku's finger. "Woah!" exclaimed Goku with a laugh, "You're really strong aren't you?"

"Are you going to train him when he gets older?" asked Bulma.

"Yeah, I think so! I'm so excited!" Goku replied.

Bulma set a heaping plate of food in front of Goku. Goku caught a whiff of it, and could feel his mouth salivating in response to the delicious smell. He gasped melodramatically, "Oh my Kami! Is that blueberry pancakes!?!" he exclaimed.

Bulma laughed, "Yeah, I experimented a little. I had the eggs and toast to fall back on if I failed. I tried some, and I think I actually did a good job..."

Goku had already taken a bite of the pancakes, "This is delicious!" he complimented her with his mouth full.

Bulma laughed, taking a bottle, and feeding Gohan. Goku glanced up at her in confusion, "Oh! You don't have to do that, Bulma. You can eat. I'll do that!"

Bulma smiled, "That's, okay, I already ate something."

When breakfast was over Bulma left and headed home. She offered to stay, and help, but Goku said that she needed a break, he could handle it today. She seemed excited, and said something about working on a new project she'd thought up recently. She refused to tell him what it was, but she told him that he'd soon find out.

She remembered him giving her a sad smile, and saying he was going to miss her. With that stated, she squeezed his hand in reassurance, and told him that she'd be back later that day, so he wouldn't have to miss her for very long.

At Capsule Corporation:

"Mom, dad, I'm home," hollered Bulma as she entered the living room and dropped her luggage on the couch. She walked around looking for her mother and father. She finally found them in their vast indoor yard. They were feeding their animals.

Mr. Briefs glanced up at his daughter upon her entrance into the yard, his little black cat sat upon his shoulder; it too was looking at Bulma with its inquisitive eyes.

"Oh hi, honey. Did you have a fun sleepover?" he asked.

Bulma rolled her eyes in annoyance. What type of question was that? He still treated her like a little girl. She was a grown woman now.

"Dad, it was fine. I only stayed to help Goku with his son, you know that," she replied.

"Of course, sweetie, I knew that," replied Mr. Briefs without really listening, "No, kitty, you're poking holes in my suit!" he reprimanded the little black cat on his shoulder.

"Would you like some coffee and homemade vanilla-walnut biscotti, hun?" asked Mrs. Briefs.

"No thanks, mom," Bulma declined, "I'm going to the lab to work on my project."

After having said so, she rushed off to her lab to get started. She'd been thinking about this nonstop since she'd begun the blueprints for it. She was sure it would cheer Goku up.

When she entered her own personal laboratory, she went straight to her workbench. She smiled while ruffling through some papers. She was really proud of her project and wanted to finish it before Goku could come and visit her at Capsule Corp.

As she sat down she finally found what she had been looking for: self-made blueprints of a training room. It wasn't just any mundane training room, no; she had taken the original layout of a dojo, but had added a system of gravitational control. That way, the user could choose to train at a higher or lower level of gravity than the one that was normal on Earth. It was also going to be built with special gravitational reinforcers around the walls, roof, and floor, so that it could withstand extremely powerful ki blasts, strength, power-ups, and generally any type of thrashing someone could think to give it. She had been working on the blueprints for it nonstop since she'd thought of it. Now she was overly excited to get it done.

'_I'm positive__ he's going to be so happy when he sees this! He loves to train and get stronger!' _she thought.

She pictured her best friend's smiling face and immediately went to work with the utmost of determination. She wanted to get it done in time, so she had to rush as quickly as possible.

Author's notes: Now I do wonder if I should insert Vegeta in the story, or if the Saiyans should come at all. I don't know, what do you guys think?

Review


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